Rodent Ulcer (Eosinophilic Ulcer) in my cat?
This morning my cat was lying next to me with his head tipped back and I noticed strange pink, mucousy sores on either side of his upper lip. I had no idea what to make of it, but I looked it up and learned they are rodent ulcers (more properly called Eosinophilic Ulcers), and are often found in cats. I know the cause of these strange sores can vary--feline leukemia is sometimes implied, but my cat was vaccinated for that a year and a half ago when I got him. However, he was a stray and I did not have him tested before vaccinating him. He is a robust, active, and healthy cat that is several years old, so I'm not entirely convinced that he could have had leukemia this whole time, although I'd appreciate someone filling me in on whether or not that is likely.
One thing that I have noticed is that he does get a cold maybe once or twice a year, something that doesn't happen to my other cats. He gets somewhat lethargic and sneezy for a few days. Could this, along with the ulcers, imply some sort of immunodeficiency? Other that that, I cannot piece together why he might have this, unless it has to do with allergies (he is a mildly sneezy cat, even when he's not sick). He has no flea issues (we use Frontline), and have been feeding him MeowMix since we got him. Would changing foods be wise? I have an appointment for the vet in two days, and my main concern is that the ulcers will worsen before then. I know that it is important to treat them early. Does anyone know how quickly they develop? So far, they can only be seen when I tip his head back to examine the underside of his lip, which is why I didn't notice them til today. I have no idea how long they have been there.
Thanks so much...if anyone has had experience with these, I would appreciate your advice on what type of treatment has worked. Also, I will obviously see what the vet has to say when I see him on Thursday evening.
Thanks for the advice. I'll do research on hypoallergenic cat food. I was under the impression that tests for feline leukemia and AIDS will always be positive once they have had the vaccine (and he's had both). So is it therefore too late to test for them? Would there be other ways to tell?
- angeloneus
well, you certainly have done your homework! Eosinophilic granuloma complex can occur as reddened swollen and ulcerated areas at the front or sides of the lips, and as red oozy raw places on the belly or sides or back legs. It is believed that this condition is secondary to allergy, maybe due to inhaled allergens (atopy) or food sensitivities. The treatment usually used is corticosteroids, which are a bad idea to use in a cat with an underlying disease such as feline leukemia or aids. So, I usually test a cat for these diseases before I use steroids for any reason. Also, if the cat is running a fever due to an upper respiratory virus (herpes and chlamydia and calicivirus are common culprits in recurrent upper respiratory cold-like diseases of cats) I would start antibiotics and maybe hold off on the steroids till the active part of the respiratory infections calmed down. Antihistamines can be tried but dont work that well in the cat. Allergy testing and allergy shots made from distillates of theoffending allergens can work in 60 percent of cases. In some cases, food sensitivities are the culprit and putting the cat on a prescription hypoallergenic diet is the answer. You can't just change from one over the counter food to another, though, it won't work. It can take awhile for the ulcers to develop and they can be present for a bit before treatment is instituted without serious harm. In answer to your FeLV question, that virus can take years to cause active disease, so yes he could have been healthy for a long time and still have FeLV.
- E-Fox
I agree with the previous poster that allergy is a possibility. However changing to prescription food would not be the best idea. Most prescription foods are not very high in quality.
Cats develop allergies easily, and that's because the food we're feeding contains common allergens. Dry and commercial wet food is made with cheap fillers such as corn, wheat, soy and rice, all common allergens. Besides the allergy thing, grainis high in carbs and this contributes to developing feline diabetes and obesity.
Dry food is also not great for cats, because they are designed to get water from food. They have low thirst drives and will simply not drink enough to compensate the lack of moisture in dry. The lack of water can lead to kidney disease, UTI, crystals, renal failure and more.
Try switching your cat slowly to a all wet diet, high quality food. It should list muscle meat as first ingredient and should be grain-free. No By-product. You can find these in pet stores with Wellness, EVO, Merrick, Nature's Variety and more. This will give your cat the proper nutrition and hydration and will be less likely to cause allergy.
Also try to go for flavors that are based on meat your cat has not eaten before, maybe lamb, rabbit etc. Cats can develop allergies even to specific meats.
Here's some info on nutrition and how it impacts your cat's health.
Good luck!
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